Two top tier teams from each conference square off Monday when the Rockets travel to face the 76ers. Philadelphia is currently the 4th seed in the East and playing well with a 7-3 record over their last 10. Houston has also gone on a nice run lately to climb into 5th in the West.

The Rockets will miss starting C Clint Capela (thumb) tremendously this game with the battle on the blocks with Joel Embiid. It may not be as devastating loss as originally expected however as Embiid is playing with a tweaked back. Jimmy Butler is also questionable Monday for the Sixers.

Houston Rockets

Houston has flip-flopped wins and losses over the last 8 games. If that trend continues it’s not looking good for the Rockets as they’re coming off a 138-134 OT win over the Lakers. The Rockets are also on the road Monday for just the 2nd time in their last 8 games. The Rockets are 9-12 on the road this season.

Of course home or away doesn’t really matter with the way James Harden is playing againthis season. The MVP candidate had 48 points in 42 minutes vs. LA. That followed a 58 point outing vs. Brooklyn and 57 the game prior vs. the Grizzlies.

The Sixers have a top 7 defense in opponents field goal percentage (two and three point) so can anybody else step up for the Rockets? Eric Gordon had 30 vs. the Lakers in just his 2nd game back from a knee injury.

6’6″ PJ Tucker is playing out of position at C in the wake of Capela’s injury. Nets C Jarrett Allen had 20 points and 24 rebounds vs. the Rockets Saturday. This means Philly center Joel Embiid is in line for a monster game Monday.

The Houston defense overall could be a huge liability vs. Philadelphia. In the last two games the Rockets have allowed an average of 139.5 ppg. Tonight’s O/U is set at 234.5 which actually seems a bit on the low side. The ‘over’ is 4-1 in the Rockets last five overall.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers come into Monday’s contest as -5 favorites. Philly has won 3 of the last 4 but they are coming off a 115-117 home loss to the Thunder on Saturday. Two games ago at the Wells Fargo Center, the Sixers lost 121-123 to Atlanta as -10 favorites so they’ve been known to lay an egg on their home court.

Philadelphia does have an advantage not only in home court, but also because Houston has played in back-to-back OT games. Three Rockets starters logged 40+ minutes Saturday and Harden played 45 the game prior. The positive for Houston is that those two games occurred over a span of four days.

If Embiid and Butler both play full minutes the Sixers should actually win this rather handily – that’s a big IF however. Ben Simmons should be able to step up if either of those two aren’t at full strength. Simmons was an assist shy of a triple double his last time out which is a positive sign.

NBA Betting Trends:

Rockets are 13-6-1 their last 20 overall

Rockets are 9-4-1 their last 14 on 1 days rest

Rockets are 4-9 ATS their last 13 road games

76ers are 9-4 ATS their last 13 after a SU loss

Free Houston Rockets vs. Philadelphia 76ers NBA Prediction:

There’s shaping up to be just too much Embiid in Monday’s game. Houston can get some solid defensive minutes from Nene, but when Tucker is in the lineup it’s a horrible mismatch. Harden will probably get his 30-35 points, but then again will he be a bit fatigued after consecutive OT games?

4* Free NBA Betting Pick: 76ers -5

Houston struggles going on the road for just the 2nd time in their last 8.

NBA Free Score Prediction: Rockets 110 – 76ers 128

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About Carl Taylor

Carl “End Game” Taylor has been engulfed in the sports betting lifestyle for over 20 years. His gambling defeats early on could've put triplets through an Ivy League education. The positive is that now from those lessons learned he enjoys a much better windfall than a piece of paper from Brown or Harvard. Stay tuned for Carl's daily sports betting picks and winning advice.

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